San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-12
CHAPTER XVII.

1t was the bonnie month of Spptpm-
Der, and the sun seemed to repent of his
misdeeds, seemed ashamed of the surly
fashion in which he had behaved during
the spring and the summer; he was
shining now with perseverance and in
dustry, warming, gladdening, and
Frightening the whole world.
Eric was all Impotence, he wondered
now why he had been so negligent, how
he could have waited all this time; the
legal luminaries and the high connec-
tions" seemed to him very small now,
while Bonnie Doom was anything.
When he reached the station at Aspen
dale he could hardly control his impa-
thence: there was no cab, no carriage,
no horse. he must walk the distance of
three miles from there to Larch Hill
Farm.
The fair, bright morning that joined
the warmth of summer with the smile of
autumn; the leaves were still green on
the trees; the hedgerOwS were still full
of flowers; the birds, deluded by the
sunshine, were singing gaily. As he
passed the meadows he saw the rabbits
scudding along; all nature was blythe
and gay-the very day to seek ones
love.
How long the road seemed, yet he re-
membered every inch of it; there was
the great pollard oak, under which he
had stood with Bonnie Doom watching
a flock of sheep that for once would not
follow their leader. How they had both
laughed; he could hear the sound of that
sweet, silvery laughter even now.
There was the clear, deep pool, called
MOrley's Pool. that Bonnie Doom loved
on account of the blue fOrget-me-nOts
that grew there; he remembered hold
ing bunch of them near her eyes, and
telling her they were not half so beauti-
full blue as the sweet eyes into which
he gaZed. He thought Of it as he pass
ed the pool, and said to himself that
there was no light on earth like the
light in those eyes. As he drew nearer
to the farm his heart beat faster; how
he lOnged to hold her once more in his
arms, how he longed to kiss the sweet
lips. Oh, Heaven. how mad, foolish
and blind he had been to have stayed
so long.
The lies the white high road that
leads 10 the farm,-there are the beauti-
full green lanes. Tears rise unbidden to
his eyes as he gazes. And thereof
Heaven, be praised. he comes once more
within sight of the old farmhouse; it is
almost covered now with the purple
westeria which has Powered so late
there is the cool stone porch, and the
memory of the sweet evening hours he
had spent there with Bonnie Doom
sweeps over him with apassionate thrill
of delight.
He see the old house, but strange
silence broods over it; the windows, al
ways open to let in the sunshine and
fresh air, are closed, and the white
blinds drawn,-that is doubtless to shut
out the too warm rays. A strange still
ness; there was none of the usual sounds,
no cheerful voices. no ring of happy
laughter.
He saw the blue pigeons circling in
the air, but even they did not seem as
usual; as he passed by he noticed that
no corn Law on the ground. and that
their cry was Of hunger. Why, wnere
was Bonnie Doom? She never forgot
the pigeons and birds. Where was shep
OF course, it was only fancy; but he
thought he heard the sweet voice on the
sunlight air singing the Words
my fause lover stole the rose,
But, ah he left the thorn wi me-"
Thank Heaven, he was no false loverl
He had come back to win and to WOO
his true and beautiful love.
What a strange silence. Even old
Carlo in his kennel was fast asleep.
There was no sign of life except the
blue pigeons and the tame birds.
Where was Bonnie Doom? At this
time of the day-an hour past nOon-she
was generally in the courtyard feeding
the hens and chickens. and everything
else that was hungry. He lOnged to cry
SlNud. "Ronnia DOonl" His heart was
ITO be Continued